Tertiary education institution name change criteria

Section 162 of the Education Act 1989 allows the Minister of Education to approve a tertiary education institution (TEI) name change on the recommendation of that TEI’s council.

The Minister of Education will have regard to each of the following four criteria in assessing a recommendation from a tertiary education institution to change its name, and will attribute weight to each criterion in reaching an overall decision.

1. The purpose and potential benefits of the recommended name change are clearly set outThere are reasonable grounds and good reasons to change the name of a TEI. This will include how a recommended name would help the TEI advance its mission and statutory characteristics.

2. The potential implications of a recommended name change have been consideredThis will include the potential implications for the community the TEI serves, including the staff, graduates and students of the institution. It will include how a name change relates to the interests of the tertiary education system and New Zealand. It should also include how the TEI council would manage these implications.

3. Relevant and affected parties have been consulted and their feedback has been consideredThe council has provided relevant stakeholders, such as the staff, students and graduates of the TEI with sufficient opportunity to provide their views on the recommended name change. Consultation should be undertaken in a fair and transparent manner, and over a reasonable period of time for stakeholders to submit their views. The council should also demonstrate how it has considered the perspectives raised through consultation before making the final decision to recommend a name change.

4. The council can demonstrate that there is support for a name changeThe Council should provide evidence that there is demonstrable support for a name change from the relevant affected parties consulted with as per criterion 3.